Future of HR

How can we reclaim control when it feels like work has hijacked our lives?Why is managing stress becoming more important than reducing it?My guest on this episode is Guy Winch, psychologist, TED speaker, and author of the new book “Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life”During our conversation Guy and I discuss the following: Why burnout continues to rise despite increased investment in wellbeing programs.How work is increasingly “hijacking” people’s time, attention, and relationships.Why high p...

How can leaders make work both fun and drive high-performance?Why do the high performers find joy in intense work?My guests on this episode are Bree Groff, workplace expert and author of “Today was Fun,” and Mary Kate Stimmler, Practitioner Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in Behavioral Sciences at StanfordDuring our conversation, Bree, Mary Kate, and I discuss the following: Why the belief that high performance requires pressure and sacrifice is flawedHow leaders can design work that creates energy, not burn...

This is Part 2 of our live at the CHRO Association's annual CHRO Summit in Orlando, Florida.I was honored to be invited to the CHRO Association's annual CHRO Summit that brought together more than 300 CHROs and senior HR leaders for strategic conversations truly shaping the future of work. With 25 presenters and panelists on the agenda, I was able to sit down and interview seven of those amazing speakers and bring their insights directly to you across these two episodes (EP 186 & EP 187).In this episode, Part 2 - we’re going to hear from three mo...

This is a very special episode recorded live at the CHRO Association's annual CHRO Summit in Orlando, Florida.Over two days, more than 300 CHROs and senior HR leaders came together for strategic conversations truly shaping the future of work. With 25 presenters and panelists on the agenda, I was fortunate enough to sit down and interview seven of those amazing speakers and bring their insights directly to you.The conversations were so good and in-depth that we're making this a two-part series to ensure we do each conversation justice. This is Part 1.In this...

How can HR Rethink Performance Management?Why is Performance Management broken and what can HR do about it? My guests on this episode are Edie Goldberg & Alan Colquitt, co-authors of “Performance Enablement: A New Model for Driving Organizational Performance.”During our conversation, Edie, Alan, and I discuss the following: Why traditional performance management systems were built for a different era of work.How performance management became more about compensation than improving performance.Why shifting from performance management to performance enablement changes the leadership mindset.How...

How can HR Operations help transform the function and drive business impact?Why should HR shift from People First to People Forward strategy?My guest on this episode is Girish Ganesan, Chief People Officer, S&P GlobalDuring our conversation, Girish and I discuss the following: Why HR operations are the foundation of real impactWhy credibility requires understanding the work beneath the workHow HR teams can shift from "People First" to "People Forward"Why execution is becoming a defining capability for next-generation HR leaders...

How can two simple words, “How so?” unlock a deeper conversation with any leader?Why is consistency more important than intensity when building new leadership habits?My guest on this episode is Dave Stachowiak, Host of the Coaching for Leaders podcast.During our conversation, Dave and I discuss the following: Why most "questions" aren't really questions.How defining success in advance makes behavior change measurable.Why high achievers are especially prone to feeling like they've failed.Why pushback when you go more coach is often a green light, not...

How can we redesign our culture by redesigning our meetings?Why do well-designed meetings allow for more time for individual and value-added work?My guest on this episode is Rebecca Hinds, author of “Your Best Meeting Ever” and leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work.During our conversation, Rebecca and I discuss the following: Deciding what deserves to be a meeting (and what doesn’t) is one of the most important decisions leaders can make.How poorly designed meetings become signals of bus...

Over the past 180 episodes, I've only been the one getting interviewed twice. I continue to get requests and questions from you saying, "JP, we'd love for you to answer more questions. We want to get to know you better. We've got some questions we would love you to answer." So, that is what I am doing today. This is a special Ask Me Anything episode.I am joined by my brilliant friend, Anne Gotte, who's the Senior Vice President, Global Talent and Organizational Effectiveness for Mondelēz International. Anne was kind enough to say, "Hey, JP, I w...

How can organizations make employee well-being a leadership responsibility, not just an employee responsibility?Why is belonging the number one driver of employee well-being?My guest on this episode is Mark C. Crowley, a pioneer in workplace leadership, speaker, and bestselling author of Lead from the Heart and The Power of Employee Well-Being.During our conversation, Mark and I discuss the following: Why leading with the heart is often misunderstood as being "soft" in business settings.How pulse surveys, when paired with real accountability...

How can organizations use coaching to build leadership capability?Why should every organization have a clear executive coaching strategy?My guest on this episode is Brian Underhill, Founder and CEO of CoachSourceDuring our conversation, Brian and I discuss the following: How the executive coaching industry evolved and matured over the past few decades.How organizations can design disciplined, scalable coaching systems that drive measurable behavior change.Why coaching works best when it is aligned to the talent strategy.How team coaching can improve...

How can HR lead with courage?How can organizations be both high performing and healthy?My guest on this episode is Pat Wadors, CHRO, Intuitive and author of “Unlock Your Leadership Story.”During our conversation, Pat and I discuss the following: Why HR leaders must have the courage to challenge decisions that compromise the organization’s or their own values, even when it puts their role at risk.What it truly means to build a healthy company, not just a high-performing one.How can you pa...

How do leaders develop cultural agility?Why is cultural agility an essential skill in the age of AI?My guest on this episode is Paula Caligiuri, Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University, Co-Founder of Skiilify, and Best-Selling Author.During our conversation, Paula and I discuss the following: Why cultural agility is becoming a critical leadership capabilityHow leaders actually develop effectiveness across culturesWhy vulnerability, curiosity, and perspective-taking build trust and adaptability.How individual behavior shapes team dynamics more than formal authority.How organizations can intentionally design...

How does active listening build a culture of trust?Why is the employee experience as important as the customer experience?My guest on this episode is DJ Casto, CHRO, SynchronyDuring our conversation, DJ and I discuss the following:How adopting an agile mindset and methodologies transformed Synchrony's approach to HRHow Synchrony bucked the “return to office” trend by listening to employee feedback and maintaining a flexible, performance-based work model.Why they created a frontline experience team to invest in and improve the employee journey and cust...

How can “managing up” help you to have more impact and influence?Why is managing up a critical leadership skill for all HR leaders?My guest on this episode is Melody Wilding, author of “Managing Up”, keynote speaker, and executive coach.During our conversation, Melody and I discuss the following: The biggest misconceptions about managing up and why they are wrongWhy managing up is a core leadership skill that every HR leader needs to learnPractical tools and questions HR leaders can use to help clarify priorities and expectations with lea...

The "Best of 2025" episode features fourteen don't miss moments from HR executives and thought leaders who…So, who can you expect to learn from on this episode?Monique Herena, Chief Colleague Experience Officer, American ExpressWanda Wallace, Managing Partner, Leadership Forum & Darren Overfield, EVP, Coaching & Consulting at Kaiser Leadership SolutionsRiina Hellström, Founder, Agile HR CommunityDave Ulrich, Partner at The RBL GroupMarcia Avedon, 3X CHRO, Board Director, Human Capital Expert, and Executive CoachLisa Chang, EVP & Chief People Officer, The Coca-Cola CompanyChristina Norris-Watts, Head of Assessment & People Practices, Johnson & JohnsonAnita Graham, EVP & CHRO, LabcorpChristy Pam...

My guests on this special holiday episode are Ian Ziskin, Lori Heffelfinger, Bill Baker, lead author and co-contributors to “Lives Lost and Leadership Found.”During our conversation, Ian, Lori, Bill and I discuss the following: The inspiration behind the book "Lives Lost and Leadership Found" and how personal loss can serve as a foundation for personal growth.The neuroscience behind grief: how loss rewires your brain and why that matters for leaders.What research reveals about the role of intentionality in healing after loss and becoming a stronger leader.The power of storytelling and refl...

What differentiates the best HR leaders from the rest? Why isn’t enough to “know the business, you must love the businessMy guest on this episode is Marc Effron, President, Talent Strategy Group.During our conversation, Marc and I discuss the following: Marc’s career journey and what led him to co-author One Page Talent ManagementThe unforgettable advice that Marshall Goldsmith gave to MarcThe one question that will help advance your careerWhat differentiates the best HR leaders from the restConnecting with Marc: Conn...

How can leaders redesign work to boost both engagement and well-being?Why is “fit for purpose” more important than “best practice” when it comes to designing work?My guest in this episode is Rachel Cooke, Founder of Lead Above Noise & Host of the Modern Mentor podcast. During our conversation Rachel and I discuss:Why today’s leaders are under greater pressure than ever before, especially with expanding spans of control and higher expectations.How leaders can increase engagement and embed wellbeing directly into how work actually happensThe...

How does executive compensation shape company culture, performance and deliver shareholder value?Why should CHROs think of executive compensation as a communication tool?My guests in this episode are Ani Huang, President of Policy and Practice at the CHRO Association and Charlie Tharp, Senior Advisor for Research & Practice at the CHRO Association and the Center On Executive CompensationDuring our conversation Ani, Charlie, and I discuss:Why executive compensation is a strategic communication system that signals culture, priorities, and long-term value.How executive compensation aligns to...